‘For me, it’s just creating that balance’ – Faf du Plessis on coping up with franchise-based cricket

Faf du Plessis (Source: Joburg Super Kings/Twitter/x)

Former South Africa cricketer Faf du Plessis is all set to lead Joburg Super Kings in the new season of the SA20. Having retired from international cricket, du Plessis continues to make regular appearances in domestic cricket and franchise-based leagues throughout the world. Meanwhile, ahead of yet another stint with Joburg Super Kings in the SA20, the former batter took centre stage and talked about how he balances playing franchise T20 leagues throughout the world alongside his life. 

“For me, it’s very easy at the moment. Understanding that throughout the season, you need to play enough cricket to make sure that you’re still at that level where you’re playing a lot of cricket. When you compare it to the international circuit, you’re playing cricket all the time. So, I think it’s a challenge when you move away from international cricket to circuit life, as we call it. For me, it’s just creating that balance,” Faf du Plessis said ahead of the SA20. 

I think it’s just about making sure you have those breaks: Faf du Plessis

Furthermore, du Plessis talked about the players who want to play almost every competition across the world, and he expressed the importance of finding the right balance and taking the right amount of breaks between tournaments to maintain his longevity. 

“There are some guys that usually have that urge to feel like they want to play in all the competitions around the world, because obviously, there is a financial benefit to that. But for me, it’s not the case. I think it’s just about making sure you have those breaks where you feel you can get away from the game; you can get mentally fresh, because every tournament then becomes something that’s a big drive,” he said.

“So, yeah, I look at the season, and I go, how can I, over a 12-month period, play enough cricket to maintain that level in the middle of each game, and also that freshness where it’s certainly at the age that I am now, you don’t feel like you’re losing that hunger to play the game. So, for me, it’s pretty easy at the moment. I’ve worked it out pretty well,” he added.